Pa. GOP, Dems agree on election cybersecurity threats

Sharon Herald, PA: " system’s vulnerabilities to a malicious cyber attack ...When Republicans and Democrats agree on an election threat in 2024, everyone needs to take notice.”

Comment:  Last summer, New York certified the ES&S  ExpressVote XL voting machine that concerns Pennsylvania officials of both parties.  Common Cause has sued to keep it out of New York and save our hand marked paper ballot system which has worked for us since retiring the lever machines.  We have also been working to get it banned in the budget because of the huge potential cost of  $250 million just to purchase.  (That’s a quarter of a billion dollars!). 

Bills have  been introduced in Albany to ban this type of voting machine.  Let your New York state representatives and the Governor know that you want to keep our “gold standard” of voting on hand marked paper ballots.   Ask them to support the  Voting Integrity and Verification Act of NY (VIVA NY) S6169 and A5934.  VIVA NY S6169 passed in the Senate last year but so far the Assembly has not put VIVA NY A5934 out for a vote.  ALLEGRA DENGLER

Find your representatives here:  https://elections.ny.gov/new-york-state-elected-officials


Pa. GOP, Dems agree on election cybersecurity threats

Friday, March 29, 2024

 It is refreshing to see both the Democratic and Republican chairs of the state Senate Government Committee agree that it will take bipartisan efforts to fix the gaps in Pennsylvania’s election cybersecurity.

Both sides have expressed their difference in opinions about election integrity since President Joe Biden’s election. That they are indicating a need to come together now is indicative of the system’s vulnerabilities to a malicious cyber attack and the impact one could have on Pennsylvania’s elections.

Election security advocates told committee members there is no evidence election results in Pennsylvania or any other state have been altered by computer hackers, but they presented the shared viewpoint of 20 data security advocates that said a full statewide shift to hand-marked paper ballots using optical scanners is the best option for efficient, safe vote counts.In 47 of Pennsylvania’s counties, people mark paper ballots and the ballots are fed through a scanner that tallies the votes. In the other 20 counties, voters use touchscreen ballot-marking devices.

Although there remains a potential for fraud and mistakes, voters creating a physical voting record with pen and paper provides a safe backup alternative for when an election is called into doubt.

“The problem with ballot marking devices is you can’t react to it in an appropriate way during or immediately after an election,” Dr. Andrew W. Appel, computer science professor, Princeton University, said.

Ballot marking devices — and feeder scanners — can be manipulated. Someone with access to the machines — either virtually or physically — could change the configuration so that when a voter makes their choice, it counts for something else.The experts told committee members that no election devices should have access to the internet, providing access to hackers. That makes all the sense in the world.

Mistakes and accidents, where no malicious intent is involved, a system crash or a power outage are also on the table as potential election wrinkles.

In every one of these instances, a ballot-marking device presents a concern regarding authenticity and possibly even access to results. A voter-marked paper ballot does not.

Minority Chair Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-Montgomery/Delaware said, “It sounds like we have some bipartisan work to do on this issue.”

Majority Chair Sen. Cris Dush, R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter, agreed in response and also used the word bipartisan.

When Republicans and Democrats agree on an election threat in 2024, everyone needs to take notice.

The Daily Item (Sunbury, Pa.) | CNHI